


a conduit

by asexuelf



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Binding Ritual, Canon Gay Character(s), Friendship, Gen, Ghosts, Larry Johnson is A Good Friend, Magic, Set after episode 3, Set before Episode 4, Travis Joins The Sally Face Gang, Travis Phelps is a Witch, Witchcraft, implied blood magic, technomagic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21901957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asexuelf/pseuds/asexuelf
Summary: Larry drops by to ask Travis if he wants to hang out. Travis is a little preoccupied.
Relationships: Larry Johnson & Travis Phelps, Sal Fisher/Travis Phelps
Comments: 10
Kudos: 64





	a conduit

**Author's Note:**

> drake bell's song 'bitchcraft' got stuck in my head every time i sat down to tinker at this one so it's time to post it kdjakd sorry drake, i can't take it anymore
> 
> for background: in this au, travis moved out of his dads house and is living with todd and neil. todd is a senior and his parents are cool hippies, so i imagine they'd be cool letting him live with his boyfriend (and buddy trav). sal and larry are still living at the apartments. sal doesn't show up in the fic, but he's brought up a few times.
> 
> anyways, i hope you enjoy! i tried to keep trav's magic feeling as canon-compliant as possible.

As much as Larry doesn't want to admit it, bringing Travis into their friend group had been the most natural thing to happen sophomore year. Granted, the competition isn't exactly hard to beat, but they're juniors now - almost seniors! - and it still hasn't stopped feeling natural.

The guy is still kind of an ass sometimes, but Larry's coming to realize that's more of a film that hangs over Travis than his actual personality. Travis is easily excited by simple things, always eager to help, and largely wide-eyed and sweet when someone needs him to be. It makes him feel like a douche comparing the guy to a dog, but the way Larry sees it, Travis is just a kicked puppy that hasn't learned how to stop biting yet. Maybe he never really would.

Still, he makes for a good friend - and, honestly? He fits so seamlessly into their little gang of friends, it's almost weird to think there was ever a time he wasn't part of it.

It's not just his personality that suits the group either; he's a fellow _Ghostnabber_ through and through, working probably as hard as Todd to uncover the secrets of the paranormal. While he and Sal go running towards the ghosts, Todd and Travis are the ones searching for information about the cult, about demon possession, about ghosts, about everything.

They all love Todd and he loves all of them, but Larry thinks it's been good for him to have a lab partner than can keep up.

Sometimes, Travis will even be ahead of them all - including Todd. For better or for worse.

"It's like technology!" Travis shouts animatedly. It reminds him of Todd's eureka moments so much that he's almost distracted from the horrible white energy that's crackling loudly from the crucifix necklace hanging from the living room wall and threatening to suck the drapes off the windows. Almost. "Like the TV, you have to hook up cables for sound, video, and color…"

Travis laughs wryly, barely audible over the shouts of Megan Holmes through the white rift - or the rift itself. It's like a freaking hurricane in here! "I guess I need to keep looking for the video cable!"

Stunned, Larry can only stare. "I'll bet Todd could help," he says numbly.

"Damn right!" Travis leans in close to the rift, eyes squinting against the light. "Megan! Megan, it's Travis, can you hear me?"

"Yes! I can't see! I'm scared!"

"It's okay, Megan! You're in Todd and Neil and I's new house - do you remember Neil? He's the tall guy who always wears ugly v-necks!"

Although the sound is distorted and the ghost girl still sounds afraid, a giggle makes its way through the rift, swallowed by the water-rushing cacophony of energy. "I like him! Why can't I see him?"

"I must have gotten the symbols wrong!" Even though Megan can't see him, he points above the rift at the symbols he's drawn in- Oh Jesus, is that blood? Larry hopes it isn't blood. A stack of notes fly out from under a porcelain figure on the coffee table and get sucked into the white vortex. "Agh, shit- It's okay, Megan! I'll keep working on it so I can bring you through! Until then, I'm going to send you back to Addison - will you be alright?"

"I think so!"

"Okay, just hold on tight!"

And then Travis does some more weird magic stuff - and it _is_ magic, Larry doesn't care how he and Todd try to rationalize it. That is straight witchcraft- er, gay witchcraft. And then the rift is closed, leaving only the necklace swaying from its perch on a nail. The entire room is a mess.

"What the fuck, dude?"

Travis turns to him with a rare smile, his hair stuck up around him wildly. "It's good to see you, Larry."

"Uh, you too? But seriously: what the fuck, dude?"

The witch ignores him. Travis does that sometimes - he’s like a particularly rude cat that way. Heedless of Larry’s questions, he turns to the symbols on the wall and begins writing again, picking up a brush and a wooden bowl full of a dark red substance (so dark it's almost black) that Larry didn't notice before. The symbols he writes are familiar, but there are more of them, too, ones Larry hasn't seen he or Todd use before. When the symbols gets too close to the ceiling, Travis grabs a small step-ladder from its place folded under the T.V.

As Travis tests the ladder's stability, Larry realizes something. "I thought you needed a conduit for stuff like that."

"I am the conduit."

Oh yeah. Definitely witchcraft.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

Travis glances back over his shoulder and stares for a moment. Larry blinks back, feeling trapped. _Brr._ That guy's stare can be icy and _intense_. How do Todd and Neil live with this guy?

"Don't tell Sal."

Larry scoffs. "Oh, I'm definitely telling Sal."

"Ugh." He turns back to his work, ignoring Larry again in favor of drawing more strange symbols.

Larry watches for a while, awed at the easy way Travis curls the brush over intricate symbols. What is that brush made of that it can do that without catching against the wall or running out of "paint"? Whatever it is, Larry wants one. That would make painting larger paintings was easier.

Shit, nevermind - he came here for a reason. Maybe later he can mention his birthday to Travis or something. Or maybe Christmas. Does Travis still celebrate Christmas even though he's a witch?

"Uh," he forces out, shaking the thoughts from his head. "I just came over to see if you wanted to hang for dinner. It's already pretty late in the day."

That gives Travis pause. "Is it?" He looks towards the window and realizes for the first time that the sun is down. "Shit. I didn't eat today."

"You gotta take care of yourself, dude."

"Yeah, I know." Travis sighs and steps off his ladder, leaving his tiny bowl on the top step. "I'll have to leave a note to Neil and Todd not to freak when they see my work, but yeah, we should eat. What were you thinking?"

"We can grab something from that new 24/7 burger place or I could cook. Reminds me, I've got this new recipe for chicken enchiladas I wanna try for you, since you like weird food. It looks up your alley. Has, like, celery in it."

The look Travis shoots him is one of mild offense - and intrigue. The fact that he's wiping his hands on a towel the same way a baby would makes the face slightly more adorable than Larry is comfortable with.

"My food preferences aren't that weird," he argues. "But it's nice of you to think of me. Thanks." He throws the towel by the wall next to the step-ladder. "Maybe we can make them together on Tuesday?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Cool." A little smile finds its way onto Travis' face. "Just let me find some paper and my wallet and then we'll get burgers."

"You gonna order mayonnaise on yours?"

"Yep."

"You animal."

Travis disappears into the room he'll be sharing with Sal next year, his laugh still echoing behind him. While Larry waits, he stares up at the red symbols on the wall and thinks, _My life is so fucking weird._

As much as he wants it to be a complaint, he knows he wouldn't change it for anything. Although…

"Man, should we clean up this trashed living room before Neil gets home?"

"Oh, right!" Travis' voice carries from the cracked bedroom door. "Will you get started on that? I'm finally feeling how hungry I am."

Maybe their weird lives would be a little easier with a ghost butler or something. Sighing, Larry starts moving furniture that slid around back into place, mindful of the carpet. Or maybe he's the ghost butler and just doesn't know it. That would fit his luck, wouldn't it?

Travis finishes writing his note, helps him straighten everything back out quickly, and then leads the way out the door. When the guy's got food in him, Larry will ask more questions about the symbols, but for now, he's just looking forward to stealing his french fries.

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was hard to find an ending place for...
> 
> my burger order is always cheese, mayo, onions, pickles, and lettuce 🙃 sometimes i'll trade pickles for mushrooms if its a place that allows it. what's yours? akdjsk
> 
> (thank you for reading!! 💖)


End file.
